Youngsters get chance to learn, experience stage performance

Shawnee Playhouse's Shawnee Theatrical Arts Resource School is winding down registrations for its fifth annual summer camp classes that teach and also give youngsters the chance to experience that on-stage performance under the spotlights.

Shawnee Playhouse's Shawnee Theatrical Arts Resource School is winding down registrations for its fifth annual summer camp classes that teach and also give youngsters the chance to experience that on-stage performance under the spotlights.

S.T.A.R.S. taps into a child's natural gifts of imagination and role-playing. Children sharpen their creativity, improve their communication skills, gain self-confidence and learn the importance of teamwork through theater arts. Performing, diction, choreography and blocking will be taught by the playhouse's professional acting staff and directors. And they become part of that onstage excitement.

The S.T.A.R.S. program offers children an introduction to stage movement, dance, music, art, creative games, role-play exercises and scene study.

Class size is limited, and families must register as soon as possible and must be submitted before the class begins, No walk-ins will be accepted.

Work on 'Beauty and Beast Jr.'

In the first camp that starts on July 8, youngsters will work alongside the cast members of "Beauty and the Beast Jr." and will be in a performance of this show on July 13 at 10 a.m. There will be performances with other shows as well.

"It's better; it's changed now that kids are in the actual show. Now kids get on stage and are part of an actual production in front of a live audience and the parents buy tickets," said playhouse spokesperson Becky Haskall. "It gives them (the kids) a feeling of what it's really like to be on stage with the director. That's helped quite a bit. Camps now run in conjunction with shows. We'll do the same for next year."

Midge McCloskey, Shawnee Playhouse executive director, reports the largest turnout in the third-grade age group and that she has more qualified counselors after an extensive screening and referral process with background checks and volunteers that allows her to oversee the classes for "a better overall pulse."

"All three camps have similar experiences but are focused on that particular show," McClosky said. "They're different enough that the children can do all three camps but structured similar enough so they know what's going on in all three camps. Each camp tops off at 24 with two counselors and four to six high school student volunteers helping with each group.

In fact a Second Beauty and the Beast camp was added to the one for kindergarten to second grade. That one was supposed to be for third- to ninth-graders but, because of the younger response, it starts at first grade.

Kids perform onstage

For the second straight year, the youngsters can perform live on stage at the end of the camp.

"It's intensive; the whole process of being in a show in one week," McClosky said. "Each camper gets a head shot and writes a bio for program. They do a lot of theater games and some kind of a craft creating a prop. and they get to work with a professional actor or actress who is in the show. By the end of the week, they're performing on stage with those people.

"With 'Cats' (last summer), the younger kids in kindergarten and first grade were not in professional performance, but they did a special performance immediately following the show with the actors. But all the kids from second grade up had unitards, wigs and makeup, and they performed supplemental to different parts of the show."

McClosky said it got positive response all around.

"It was wonderful. The show was great, and actors loved having kids part of the show, too."

McClosky said many campers return, some bringing a friend or family member or two.

Learn about the work

She says that not everyone develops into an overnight star, but they do learn firsthand and appreciate the work that goes into a stage production.

"Absolutely, and you learn to respect it," McClosky said. "The thing about theater is that we don't expect everyone to pursue theater in arts but everyone who takes a class in a performance situation benefits because you receive fantastic training, you gain confidence in speaking in front of an audience and develop public speaking over that horrible awkwardness some may feel in a room in front of people without something like this."

The first camp charge full price and then there is a $15 discount for siblings or for a camper registering for another camp session.

Call 570-421-5093 for details or visit theshawneeplayhouse.com.

2013 S.T.A.R.S. Summer Camps

1. Camp Beauty and the Beast Jr.— Kindergarten through third grade (camp is full) from July 8-12: Performance on July 13. Campers will learn about performing, diction, choreography and blocking from thed professional acting staff and directors. Kids work alongside cast members of the show for that camp and will perform on stage.

2. Camp Emperor's New Clothes — For students in first through ninth grade from July 15-19. Performance 10 a.m. on July 20. Campers will learn about performing, diction, choreography and blocking from professional acting staff and directors. Kids work alongside cast members of the show for that camp and will perform on stage.

3. Camp Beauty and the Beast Jr.— First through ninth grade from July 22-26. Performance 10 a.m. on July 27, Campers will learn about performing, diction, choreography and blocking from professional acting staff and directors. Kids work alongside cast members of the show for that camp and will perform on stage.

4. Camp King & I — Kindergarten through third grade from July 29-Aug. 2. Performance 2 p.m. on Aug. 2. Campers learn about performing, diction, choreography and blocking as well as makeup and costuming for a headline show from the professional acting staff and directors. Kids work closely with cast members to prepare for performance. This camp may require an additional materials fee (exact amount TBD) for each child's personal costume and makeup kit, which will go home with each camper at the end of the performance.

5. Camp KING & I — Third through ninth grade from Aug. 12-16. Performance 2 p.m. on Aug. 16. Campers learn about performing, diction, choreography and blocking as well as makeup and costuming for a headline show from the professional acting staff and directors. Kids work closely with the cast to prepare for their performance. This camp may require an additional materials fee (exact amount TBD) for each child's personal costume and makeup kit, which will go home with each camper at the end of the performance.